Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-09
THE NEGRO'S EAR.
A Doctor Tells Why Deafness il SO Rare
Among African People.

Among the papers read before the section Of
otology was one by DR.. T. E. Murrell OF Little
ROCK, Ark, On IRREGULARITIES In the structure ani
the Diseases OF the Ear In the Negro" DR.. Muir
rell said: "By negro is here meant the typical
African, and not the mixed races. The negro has
FEWER aural affections than the white man. and for
this reason deafness is much less common In these
people. His immunity from aural diseases Is due
to other than accidental causes alone. Pecuuari-
ties In anatomy are met with sufficiently striking
to explain some OF his exemptions. The following
pecuiarities in the anatomy OF the ear and adnexa
are more or less conspicuous: The pima is small
with lack OF development above the concha and Is
set closely to che side OF the head. The external
auditory canal large quite straight, and OF less
average depth than the standard. The membrani
tympani Is large In Its diameters and forms less
oellque angle with the axis or the canal than that
usually given. The mastod process is very slight
ly developed and incon.picuous. The pharynx is
large and capacious. with great breadth between
the fauces. The mares are broad and ilared giving
Immense breadth TO the choane. Detection or the
septum Is seldom an obstruction to nasal re.pira-
tion. Diseases OF the external auxiliary canal are
mostly accidental and traumatic.
Foreign bodies, animate and inanimate, fire.
quently lind their way into the wide, straight
canal. Impacted cerumen is less common thar
in the White races. OttiS parastica Is rare
OtitlS meuia suipurativa acuta is rather frequent
in children, but less so than in whites. RninitiS
puru!enta Is common in strumOus children, and in
these The suppuraton in the middle ear mostly
occurs: Recovery generally takes place with
little loss to hearing. Otitis media suppur-
aiva chronica is st1i less conmon. In adults it
Is seldom encountered. NustouLis extremely
rare. OtltiS media catarrhalis cnronica Is very
ln!requent. Pnaryngitis ct rhiniIis chronica are
seldom met with, and hence the absence of the
midGie ear affection. Otitis media proliferativa
occurs in the aged, but not in SO Large ratio as
In whites. Otitis interna is almost unknown out
OF infancy, unless Jraumatfc. Nerve deafness
except In deal lnutes, Is extremely frequent.
Deaf-mutlsm Is or much smaller percentage
than IN the white races. Nervous diseases are IN
frequent In the negro. CeTebro-Spinal fever so
frequent cause or deafness, is almost unknown in
these people. Among the accidental causes OF
aural affections may be mentioned: The southern
negro lives in open houses, and is therefore less
liable 10 head-colds than otherwise. His colds
are mostly pectOral. He lives simply generally As
good digestion, and is hot lax in tissue hence the
1nfrequency or otitis media. he is proyerbially
cheerful and happy, and never allows response
Dillty TO weigh upon him. This is attributable 10
the Inferior development OF the moral side OF his
nature. Tarough this he gains immunity from a
large class Of nerve diseases common In Ine eaJer
hign-Strung Caucasian"